Biography of Federalism
Senator Raza Rabbani, a lawyer, and constitutional scholar co-authored the 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments as Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms. As Chairman of the Implementation Commission, oversaw the process of devolution under the 18th Amendment. He has dedicated his political career to safeguarding the rights of Individuals and minority groups through the principle of Federalism.
An activist since his university days, Rabbani was the founding Chairman of the National Organization of Progressive Students. He went on to complete his law degree at the University of Karachi. Throughout his legal career, he has kept up a life-long passion for literature and the world of ideas.
In his ground-breaking book LFO: A Fraud on the Constitution, the Senator took up the fraught topic of what happens when systems, constitutions and institutions are tailored to suit individuals in power. His conclusion, reached after a close study of the historical record, was that instruments so conceived can have no lasting validity.
Mr. Rabbani has served as Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination. Minister of State for Law and Justice, and Leader of the House and Opposition in the Senate. While serving as Chairman of a Committee on Balochistan, he authored the draft of the “ Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan,” a financial and political package for the people of the Province.
As President of the People’s Lawyers Forum, Rabbani was jailed for over two and a half years in the struggle for the rule of law and the restoration of democratic and human rights. He was the victim of violent police brutality in front of the Parliament House.
Mian Raza Rabbani was awarded the ‘Nishan-i-Imtiaz’ the country’s highest civil award, in recognition of his role in accomplishing unanimous parliamentary passage of the 18th and 19th Amendments. He is also the recipient of the ‘Bacha Khan Award for the Defense of Provincial Rights’, the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights in Pakistan’s ‘Services of Human Rights Award’ and ‘Human Rights Society of Pakistan Award for rendering valuable services for Human Rights for the year 2006’.
The various trade unions of the Country have recognized his services in the field of Parliamentary legislation related to labour laws.
Book launch: 12th September,2012
